DC approves MOU with Pepin County and Landmark Conservancy for Chippewa River Trail
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
MENOMONIE — The Dunn County Board has approved a Memorandum of Understanding with Pepin County and Landmark Conservancy to pursue the acquisition of the Chippewa River Bike Trail.
The Chippewa River Bike Trail goes from Durand to the Red Cedar State Trail and covers 6.5 miles, with 1.5 miles in Dunn County, said Chase Cummings, Dunn County land conservationist, at the Dunn County Board’s June 19 meeting.
The 1.5 mile portion of the trail in Dunn County covers 37 acres, and the entire 6.5 mile trail is owned by Northern States Power/Xcel Energy, he said.
Dunn County and Pepin County have pursued grant funding to acquire the trail, but submitting the grant application in the timeframe available was not possible. Landmark Conservancy has been contacted about applying for the grant funding and has agreed to apply for the grant, Cummings said.
Funding of up to $5,000 may be necessary to pay for closing costs and a title search as part of the work to complete the acquisition, according to background information included with the MOU.
The estimated appraised value of the property is $4,000 per acre, and the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund grant would cover 50 percent of the appraised value of the property, Cummings said.
NSP has agreed to sell the property for half of the appraised value, he said.
Dunn County and Pepin County have the potential to acquire the Chippewa River Trail for free to maintain public access to the trail and would only pay costs associated with the acquisition but not for purchasing the land, Cummings said.
Agreement
The Dunn County Board and Pepin County Board were both deciding on whether to approve the MOU at their respective county board meetings on June 19, Cummings said.
Pepin County is quite concerned about maintaining public access to the trail because without the connection through Dunn
County, there is no connection to the Red Cedar State Trail from Durand, he noted.
The grant application is due by August 1, and Landmark Conservancy is willing to do the work to complete the grant application, Cummings said.
The Chippewa River Trail and the Red Cedar State Trail connect with the Old Abe State Trail for a 76 mile trail network used for hiking and biking and that is used for snowmobile trails in the winter, Cummings said.
Developed trail
Gary Bjork, county board supervisor from Colfax, asked if the trail is already developed.
The trail has been in existence since the railroad tracks were removed, Cummings said.
The portion in Pepin County and Dunn County is a paved trail that Pepin County maintains, and the remainder of the trail to Eau Claire is a gravel trail, he said.
Bjork asked about Dunn County’s liability for maintenance.
The trail is currently on private property, and part of the agreement to allow the trail to be used is that Pepin County maintains the trail, Cummings said, adding that the question of maintenance of the 1.5 miles of trail in Dunn County will have to be addressed if it can be purchased with Knowles-Nelson Stewardship funds.
If the trail can be acquired at little to no cost, it would be a good idea, said Dustin Shackleton, county board supervisor from Menomonie.
What is the alternative to not acquiring the trail? Shackleton asked.
NSP could sell the trail to someone else for private ownership and that would cut off public access to the remainder of the trail network, Cummings said, adding that Pepin County is concerned that the public access from Durand is in jeopardy.
Pepin County could pursue the acquisition of the entire section of trail, but Dunn County has been asked to play a role in the purchase of the portion in Dunn County, he said.
The state of Wisconsin owns and maintains the Old Abe State Trail and the Red Cedar State Trail, Cummings said.
Tyrone
The area in question was part of the Tyrone nuclear power plant plans, said Larry Bjork, county board supervisor from the Town of Spring Brook.
The land was intended to maintain railroad access for the power plant, and NSP has been divesting the property that was associated with the plans for the Tyrone plant, Cummings said.
The trail covers 37 acres in Dunn County and 63 acres in Pepin County, he said.
Dunn County should not take on any more expenses and should ask NSP to donate the land, Larry Bjork said.
NSP acquired the land, and the land did not go back to the people from whom the land was taken, he said.
“I am not in favor of it,” Bjork said.
Cummings noted that NSP had been asked to donate the land for the trail and that NSP officials had said they would be willing to sell it for half of the appraised value.
Gordon Wolf, county board supervisor from Menomonie, said he grew up on the trail, and losing the trail would be disappointing to people who hike, ride bicycles and who go hunting and trapping.
“It’s a heck of an area. For a small input, we can keep it that way. I’m very much in favor of it,” he said.
The Dunn County Board approved the Memorandum of Understanding on a voice vote.
Agreement
According to the Memorandum of Understanding, Landmark Conservancy will commission a third-party independent appraisal of the property and will execute a signed offer to purchase for the property.
Landmark Conservancy also will apply for a grant from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, including all administrative aspects of the grant program, for acquisition of the property.
If Landmark Conservancy is successful in obtaining a Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Grant, the Conservancy will conduct all required due diligence, including title and environmental review, to proceed to a successful closing and will work collaboratively with Pepin County and Dunn County to raise matching funds to achieve the purchase price, if necessary.
Landmark Conservancy also will close on the property.
Pepin County and Dunn County will accept transfer of ownership of each county’s portion of the property and accept all future management responsibilities of the property.
Pepin and Dunn County also will accept transfer of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Grant contract and any other grant contracts that may become included in the acquisition of the property.
In addition, the two counties will reimburse Landmark Conservancy for any hard costs accrued in the acquisition of the property that is not covered by the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Grants, including, but not limited to, appraisal, title policy, legal review and closing fees.
Pepin County and Dunn County also will provide any necessary matching funds to achieve the purchase price.
